Pimentos and green chilies combine with cheddar cheese and tarragon to give Cheddar Chicken Spaghetti casserole its unique flavor. Tarragon is one of my favorite herbs to combine with chicken—the flavors are fabulous together.
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Time needed
This is a quick casserole to assemble—just the amount of time to cook and drain the spaghetti—if you have cooked chicken in the freezer (something I recommend and encourage as part of my meal plans). If you are starting from scratch, allow about 15 minutes for prep time.
Cooking takes about 25 minutes, so you can have Cheddar Chicken Spaghetti on the table in 40 minutes.
Ingredients
- cooked spaghetti
- cooked chicken (from freezer or rotisserie chicken* save time)
- shredded cheddar cheese
- cream of chicken soup
- milk
- pimientos
- green chilies
- dried tarragon
- salt & pepper
* Be sure to check out my other rotisserie chicken dinner ideas for easy weeknight dinners!
Vegetarian option
You can easily make a vegetarian option by substituting broccoli and/or red bell peppers in place of the chicken, and substitute cream of celery soup for the cream of chicken soup.
Instructions
Combine chicken, 1 cup cheese, soup, milk, pimientos, green chilies, tarragon, salt, and pepper. Add spaghetti and mix gently. Place mixture in a greased 13 x 9 x 2 baking dish and top with the remaining cheese. Bake uncovered at 350°F for 20-25 minutes or until heated through.
Side dishes
When I serve casseroles, I like to keep the sides simple so there aren't too many competing flavors going on. With Cheddar Chicken Spaghetti, I would serve a steamed green vegetable and/or a salad.
Freezer instructions
The casserole freezes well so if you want to double up on the recipe, it's a good dish to stock the freezer.
To freeze, assemble the casserole in a freezer-safe container, but do not bake. Cover with foil or freezer paper and label with "Cheddar Chicken Spaghetti: Thaw and bake at 350ºF for 20-25 minutes."
Recipe
Cheddar Chicken Spaghetti
Ingredients
- 8 ounces spaghetti
- 2 cups cooked chicken
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided
- 10.5 ounces condensed cream of chicken soup
- 1 cup milk
- 1 tablespoon diced pimientos
- 4.5 ounces can diced green chilies
- 1 tablespoon dried tarragon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- non-stick cooking spray
Instructions
- Cook 8 ounces spaghetti according to package instructions.
- Cube 2 cups cooked chicken.
- Combine chicken, half of 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, 10.5 ounces condensed cream of chicken soup, 1 cup milk, 1 tablespoon diced pimientos, 4.5 ounces can diced green chilies, 1 tablespoon dried tarragon, ¼ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper in a bowl and mix.
- Add the cooked spaghetti to the other ingredients and mix gently.
- Spray a 13x9 inch baking pan with non-stick cooking spray.
- Place mixture in baking dish and top with the remaining cheese.
- Bake uncovered at 350°F for 20-25 minutes or until heated through.
Notes
Nutrition per serving
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Elsi
This recipe is also good with spaghetti squash for those who are trying to avoid noodles.
Mary Ann
Good to know, Elsi - thanks for the tip!
Laura
What is a serving size?
Mary Ann
Hi Laura - the casserole makes 8 servings, so a serving that is 1/8 of the total is how the nutrition data is calculated.
Betina
I forgot to get pimentos so I added bacon bits. Easy, fast and flexible recipe that tastes delicious ?
Mary Ann
Thanks for the feedback - so glad you enjoyed it! I actually made a vegetarian version yesterday and had it for dinner last night and lunch today. :)